Behind the Badge
by ChelleLew
Summary: Dean's lead foot allows the guys to meet a female police officer who cuts them a break one night. While Roman seems to find her attractive, he doesn't immediately act on this. Has his chance gone? It's doubtful when a mystery brings his lady-friend backstage. MiraBeth faces life-altering call. Roman copes with the Royal Rumble aftermath. How will their new relationship fair?
1. Red & Blue Light Special

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone you recognize. They belong to themselves or ownership of the WWE.**

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><p>"Dammit Dean!" male voices chorused in unison though the vehicle as red and blue lights lit up the night.<p>

"I was only going 10 miles over the speed limit. Maybe 15…" he grumbled, reaching for his wallet. "Does anyone know where the rental agreement is? The po-po is going to want to see it, if he ever gets up here." They sat on the shoulder of the road for a few more minutes, still looking for the rental agreement before the officer could be seen approaching the car.

"Good evening, sir. Do you know why I pulled you over tonight?" To Dean's surprise, and the shock of all the occupants in the car, a female voice spoke.

"Ah…ah…um…" Dean stuttered.

"He's trying to say he was speeding, ma'am." Roman spoke up from the passenger seat.

"I can answer for myself." Dean muttered, smacking Roman's arm and turning towards his open window. "I was speeding, Officer. We are tired and really want to get some sleep."

"I'm sure you'd like to get there safely, sir. Please refrain from striking the other occupants of the car while I am standing right here watching. That's kind-of a big no-no." she said with a smile. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going?" Dean shook his head. "I have you on laser going 86 in a 65."

"Eighty-six Dean? What were you thinking?" one of the men in the backseat complained.

"May I see your license and registration or proof of rental?" the officer asked politely. Once she had the documents, she returned to her patrol car.

"She knows who we are." Antonio Cesaro said.

"Does it really matter?" asked Dolph Ziggler. "Eighty-six in a sixty-five is rather hard to ignore. Twenty-one miles over the speed limit. Remind me, **_why_** is Dean driving?"

The officer returned to the car, handing Dean his license and copy of the rental agreement. "Your friend is correct. I cannot ignore 21 miles over the speed limit. I did give you a break on the ticket, though. I only wrote it for 10 over, since you don't get home very often." With a wink and a wave, she was headed back to her car.

Dean looked at the ticket. "She did cut me a break, but I don't live here." He glanced at his friend. "You do."

"I have no idea who she is." he responded.

"She's not bad looking." one said.

"She's interested." another offered.

Dean encouraged, "And you haven't had a date in months. Before she pulls away…go!"

"I am **not** hitting on a cop!" he thundered, crossing his arms and striking a pose like a pouting child. "Now drive."


	2. Conversations & Duties

As the early morning sun crept across the horizon, one woman was already up and raring to face the day. The muffins that she wanted make for the bake sale were cooling on the rack. Satisfied that they would be fine until she returned from her run and that all her dirty dishes were in the sink, she went in search of the sweatband that she always seemed to lose. Once it was found, she dressed in her running clothes, stretched, locked the door behind her, and took off for her run. Five miles with a target of less than 35 minutes – she wanted to beat her time from last week. _That hill and those stop lights really cook my goose!_ She ran through the neighborhoods and into the more urban setting. Then she ran into the suburban area and back through the undeveloped land before heading back towards her own home. _Yes! 34 minutes and 53 seconds! I did it! Now, if only I didn't have to get ready for work._

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><p>"Dude! Isn't that the cop from last night?" Dolph pointed out the woman running passed Cross Fit to Seth Rollins.<p>

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Seth replied.

Cesaro looked out the window. "Absolutely. That's her!"

"Who? What happened?" Seth wanted to know. Cesaro and Dolph filled Seth in on Dean's lead-footed incident as the woman ran out of sight. "So she lives around here. Hmm…"

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><p>"MiraBeth! My office! You too, Sam!" the Captain bellowed. Once the officers reported, the Captain continued, "Special assignment. You are needed at the Amway Center, Orlando. You can handle that, can't you?"<p>

"Yes, sir." They responded, heading for the door.

"The WWE is in town and they need extra security. Some nonsense about some threat or something. Just deal with it and get back to real police work." the Captain sighed.

"Great. Just great. Our first special assignment and he thinks it's a bunch of malarkey. Wonderful." MiraBeth muttered under her breath.

"Didn't you hear? It's the WWE!" Sam whispered excitedly. MiraBeth shook her head and headed for her police cruiser. It was going to be a long shift.

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><p>"All I am saying is, if you had the chance you should speak to the woman. She's obviously around here somewhere, she is a local cop. She wasn't hard on the eyes. And you <strong>need<strong> a date, man. You are worse than a hormonal woman on PMS." Dean Ambrose was having a heart-to-heart with his dear friend while spotting him on the bench press. "It wouldn't hurt to ask her out. She even said she gave us a break because you don't get home much. It wasn't me because I don't live here. You do so she was talking about you."

"You don't know that. She could have meant any of us. People think we all live here because of the training center. Now, shut up and spot me." Roman huffed.

"If you won't…" Dean mumbled.

"Dean!"

"Just sayin'" Dean smiled as Roman gripped the bar more firmly. "You are proving my point, big man. Proving my point."

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><p><strong>Yes, that was a Mary Sue rule-breaker right there in the first paragraph. This character can do it all before the sun comes up. She is a cop, a runner, bakes muffins, cleans the kitchen...Go ahead, shake your head at me. I laughed as I wrote it. If we aren't here to enjoy ourselves, why are we here?<strong>

**There will be some of my usual emotional grittiness in this, but the first chapter or two are supposed to have some light-hearted fun. I hope I achieved that goal.**


	3. MIA

**Any characters mentioned in this chapter belong to the WWE. Any rumors that are mentioned are figments of my fertile imagination.  
><strong>**Like all fanfiction, this is meant for fun. :)**

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><p>MiraBeth parked her cruiser by the rear entrance to the arena, hoping when the event was over she would be able to make a quick escape. Having those red and blue lights should come in handy for something, shouldn't they? Getting out and smoothing her uniform, she approached the door as she squared her hat. Security let the officer in. MiraBeth met with the head of security, who couldn't tell her any more than there was a threat that they were taking seriously.<p>

Taking a quick walk through the arena and halls that were soon to be teaming with fans, MiraBeth was fuming. _Who the hell takes says something like 'there is a threat we are taking seriously' and can't say anything more about it? How was the threat delivered? How was it stated? Who was it directed towards? I need specifics. Anyone investigating will need specifics. Seriously. And they call themselves security. Ha. _While MiraBeth observed the area and took some preliminary photos, she attempted to calm her racing mind. This is what she trained to do. Serve and protect. True, the threat was unknown. Maybe imagined. But she was going to do the best she could with what she had.

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><p>"Psst. Psst. Did you see that hottie in uniform? Do you think she's part of the show?" Golddust and Stardust whispered.<p>

"What are you two talking about?" Dolph asked, barely listening to the two painted men as they approached him in catering.

"The officer in uniform."

"What officer in uniform. Where?" Dolph repeated, looking around. He shook his head as it appeared that Stardust was now falling into character, spouting off gibberish about stars and galaxies, asteroids and Orion's Belt. _He's no help. I wonder if this officer could be HER? _

As Golddust and Stardust slunk away, Seth sat down beside Dolph. "Have you heard the rumor?"

Antonio sat on Dolph's other side. "Vince is supposed to come. He doesn't like how things are going and he's going to take his company back."

"That's the rumor." Seth agreed.

Dolph shook his head again. "You two fall for every rumor that goes around this place. Remember last month when you thought Nikki was pregnant? Or six weeks ago when you thought Rusev and Lana were undercover spies for Russia? What about when you thought John Cena and Randy Orton were…involved and you two tried to catch them 'in the act'? Come on, guys. Is there anything you won't fall for? Vince isn't coming here and he isn't getting involved in the day-to-day operations of the WWE again. He's happy where he is."

Roman Reigns joined the group with his plate full of food. "Are we talking about all the rumors these two fall for? Did you remember the time they believed that I was part werewolf and they were trying to get a blood sample?"

Dolph slapped the table with his hand. "I forgot that one! That was funny."

"Maybe for you. You weren't the one that they were chasing after." It was Roman's turn to shake his head as Dean sat down laughing.

"That was funny! These two believe any rumor that comes up." Turning to Seth and Antonio, Dean said, "Did you know Miz and Mizdow are a couple now? They like the whole shadowing thing so much, they are looking at making the relationship more…permanent."

"Not funny. You guys are not funny." Seth muttered, shoving his chair back and storming away.

"Just because we have fallen for a couple of lies, doesn't make us stupid marks. It also doesn't give you the right to make fun of us." Antonio defended his friend before following him to the food table.

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><p><strong><em>in another part of the arena, in a dark and quiet area where a couple believes they are alone <em>**

"What are we going to do? Where could he be?" she was pacing back and forth, wringing her hands frantically.

"I think it's time to let the authorities know. There's at least one, possibly two here already. Let's pull them in and let them start investigating." The two people who were supposed to be in charge were unaware that they had witnesses to their private fraught-filled conversation.

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><p>"Dean! Dean!" Seth ran around the corner and into his friend. "Guess what?! I was RIGHT!" he whispered excitedly. "Vince was supposed to be here. He's missing! They are calling in the cops now."<p>

Dean grabbed Seth by the back of the head. "Dude…You need to calm down. Vince isn't here. He never was. No one is missing. No cops are here."

Antonio tapped Dean on the shoulder and pointed with his chin. "Wanna rethink that statement?"

* * *

><p><strong>The time for light-hearted fun is about over. Time to pick up the pace, don't you think?<strong>


	4. Investigation Begins

MiraBeth's confident stride ate up the length of the hallway as she searched for a certain group of people. Finding the door labelled 'The Authority' with a line through the words, she knocked firmly. The man who opened the door towered over her. "Can I help you?"

"My presence was requested because a threat or threats were reported. No one can give me any more specific information. Would you care to comment, Mr. H?" she asked.

"Not really. Just do what you were hired to do." he said and shut the door in her face.

MiraBeth shook her head and walked on through the backstage area. _Something is definitely going on. That woman behind him was visibly upset. What is wrong with these people? _The officer observed the people in each of the nooks and crannies. She took mental note of those who were on task, those loitering in the shadows, and the Swiss superstar that was attempting to follow her stealthily and failing miserably. MiraBeth rounded a corner of a deserted hallway and flattened herself against the wall. As soon as Antonio came around the corner, she slammed him against the other wall and pressed her baton against his neck. "Let's chat." she said softly. Antonio swallowed hard. "What the hell is going on around here?"

"I…I…I know nothing." he stuttered.

Seth skidded around the corner. "What's going on?"

"That's my question." MiraBeth asked. "It's about time I got some straight answers." Seth moved passed the officer, raising both his hands, and stood beside his friend. "One of you needs to tell me what you know."

"All we know is rumor, and no one believes us anyway. The only thing I've heard is that Vince McMahon was supposed to be here tonight and that he is missing. Stephanie wanted to let WWE security handle it so there wouldn't be any publicity. Triple H wanted to let you, the police, start investigating. I left while they were arguing." He shrugged his shoulders. "I told Dean but he didn't believe me. They laughed at me because we've kinda fallen for some stupid…pranks before."

MiraBeth released Antonio. "Alright. Listen. I'm going to let the two of you go, **IF** you promise to keep your mouths shut for now. I'm going to need unbiased access and if you two are running your mouths, that's not going to happen."

"Not saying a word." Antonio promised as he scurried away.

Seth looked at the place where his friend had stood and back to the uniformed officer. He said, "The car he was supposed to arrive in is here. It arrived empty. I don't know if the driver is still here." He quickly gave her directions and high-tailed it back to catering.

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><p>MiraBeth approached the door labeled 'Parking'. As soon as she was in the parking garage, she saw the limo sitting near the door with the rear doors open. "Great. Nothing like a compromised crime scene."<p>

A whispered 'psst' came from the corner of the garage. MiraBeth moved only her eyes searching for the source. She walked around the car, taking pictures and video of the inside and outside before anything else was lost. As she moved around, she got closer to the hidden person. "You thought I ditched you, didn't you?" Sam, the other officer assigned to the detail asked quietly. "I have been here in plain clothes for a few hours. No, I didn't see anything with Vince. But I did see someone move the surveillance cameras. We need to get that footage. Right now, they seem to know about you and not me. If it's okay with you, I'll keep up with the undercover portion."

MiraBeth sighed. "That's probably best. These people aren't the most forthcoming bunch. I can't even get the right people to admit there's a missing person."

"Check in in 30?" Sam asked.

"Let's say 45. I have to find security and twist some arms." MiraBeth said with a smile.

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><p>"How long are we going to deny that Vince is missing?" Hunter asked Stephanie.<p>

"How do we know he isn't doing this for ratings? I am not involving the police until I know this is real." Stephanie's voice shook. "I love my father. But he does stupid stuff like this for publicity. I'm not going to be a part of a publicity stunt like this."

"Steph, what if it's not a stunt? The limo pulled in empty. You saw it. The longer we wait, the longer he is out there…The police need to start looking and investigating. The sooner the better." Hunter encouraged.

"Are you the person who called the cops and reported the threat?" she accused.

"Of course not! That's the other thing. Whoever is behind this wanted the police here. I think that makes this rather serious."

"And I think that means it is my father." Stephanie said.

"And I think the two of you need to talk to me." said the police officer in the doorway. "Your security people won't cooperate and the two of you would rather debate theories than talk to someone who can actually investigate. Maybe all of you need to get hauled in on hindering an investigation charges. At least that would get you out of my way." She muttered, walking the rest of the way into the room and shutting the door.

**Yes, yes. The romance will return later. Give it time people! Patience! Oy vey!**


	5. The Facts and Only the Facts, Please

MiraBeth sat down, notebook in hand. "Who is going to start?"

Stephanie twisted her fingers together. "You have to understand, my father has a history of grandstanding and publicity stunts. I love him dearly and if he is in danger…" she paused and drew a shaky breath. "But, if this is a publicity stunt and I file a missing person's report that would be a false report. I want to avoid that. I am cautious because of his past." Hunter stood behind his wife.

"When did you know something was wrong?"

"We've gotten threats, but that is nothing new. Dad was supposed to come tonight. He has some new, grand idea that he was going to promote. Then the limo pulled in and he wasn't in it. The car was empty, his luggage was still inside." Stephanie was able to relay her version in a clear and concise manner, which MiraBeth recorded in her notes.

"Aside from the fact that your father was not in the limousine, was there anything else out of place or out of the ordinary about the car?" the officer questioned.

Stephanie and Triple H pondered the question for a few moments. "No. Not really." Stephanie said softly. MiraBeth raised an eyebrow. "Well…I did think it was odd…But..." she propped her head on one hand. Hunter rubbed her shoulders reassuringly. "I hesitate to mention because it might be nothing…There was a glass on the floor."

"A glass? What type of glass?"

"A small tumbler. As if Dad has a swill of scotch or whisky on his way here."

"Are you sure, Steph? Vince doesn't drink before a show. Ever." Hunter questioned. "That is a major rule."

"All of this is important information. If he was doing something unusual, out of character, I need to know. I also need to know if anyone has been in or around the car since it arrived."

"We have video surveillance in that area because of the occasional fan that gets through. Security will give you the feed." The officer noted Stephanie's trembling hands. "How public does this have to be? I fear for my father's safety but I also don't want to give in if he has staged a stunt. I feel so caught."

MiraBeth placed her hand over Stephanie's. "Look at it this way regardless of how this started, we need to find your father to check on his health and wellbeing. If he left on his own and we find him within the first 48 hours, you won't have had the time to file a missing person's report, so no false report. He has the right to leave on his own accord. If, however, your father has been taken against his will, the sooner we begin our full investigation the better off he will be."

"Thank you for your candor." Hunter said, extending his hand to shake hers. "I will have someone take you to security." He went to the door and checked the hallway, flagging a passing person to take the officer to her destination.

As the two were walking down the hall, Seth began to talk. "So, what did you find out? Vince was here, wasn't he? Who was he coming to see? Is it true that he was firing Stephanie and Hunter? Well, not firing them, but moving them from being in charge of the t.v. shows back to their office jobs? I mean because that is huge news." He turned around and began walking backwards. "I also heard that he was having marital problems. Is that why is wife wasn't with him? She used to travel with him all the time. I don't remember the last time she came to a show, come to think of it. I bet that's where the issue is. Trouble on the home-front."

MiraBeth held up one finger. "I do have a question for you." Seth stopped in the middle of the hall, excitement evident on his face. "Do you ever stop talking?" It was almost comical how quickly Seth's face fell.

"Nope. Didn't take you long to peg him, Doll Face." A gravelly voice answered from the other side of a stack of crates. MiraBeth watched as Dean Ambrose stuck his head up from the side of the crates. He slapped his hand on Roman Reign's shoulder. "If there is a crime around here, she'll solve it. Or…she'll deflate Seth's latest wolf-cry."

The smile that crossed Dean's face would make most women's heart's flutter. MiraBeth's eyes were attracted to someone else before she mentally slapped herself and walked past the men. "I think I can find my way without the Three Stooges routine."

"So there **IS** something going on!" Seth crowed, causing Roman to shove him to the floor before he chased MiraBeth down the hall.

"Hey," he said almost softly. "Where are you headed? Maybe I can help. I promise not to run my mouth or add into the rumor mill." With a harrumph MiraBeth followed Roman to the security office, not seeing the increasingly large smile on Dean's face.


	6. Tapes and Limousine

As the show went on, and the fans were none the wiser, MiraBeth sat at one of the computer terminals in the security office and watched every camera feed that they had. She transferred several of them onto a thumb drive and printed a couple of still frames. She didn't speak to anyone in the 'office' around her.

Halfway through the show's production, MiraBeth and Sam managed to meet up with each other at the limousine. "What have you found out?" MiraBeth asked her fellow officer.

Sam shook her head. "This place is rife with rumors. It's worse than a beauty parlor! I think the tabloids should hire these people because they come up with the wildest sh…"

"Really? You are going to talk like that on-duty?" MiraBeth chastised. "Just start sharing info."

The officers began taking fingerprints from the doors and seats of the car and putting the glasses in evidence bags. While they were processing the evidence, Sam summarized what she had learned. "The company has been having financial trouble lately. Vince McMahon believes that the company was doing better before The Authority was in control. Apparently he has looked into stocks and shares, television viewers, Twitter hits, and the bottom line on the WWE budget. According to what I overheard, the WWE brought in less money with The Authority running the day-to-day operations and expenditures increased by two-thirds. Obviously, the head man wasn't in charge. Scuttlebutt was Vince was going to show up in the near future and get rid of The Authority. No one was sure who would replace them and that was concerning – better the devil you know that the one you don't. I couldn't find anyone that knew he was going to be here tonight, though."

"That matches rumor that I heard as well." MiraBeth told Sam. "Of course, in the next breath he was off on Vince having marital problems." she grumbled as she checked the seat for fluids. "Ew. How often do they clean these things?"

"Don't think about that." Sam laughed. "So yeah, I heard about the marital problems, too. Linda's election runs cost a chunk of money. Vince has been looking at the WWE bottom line, their personal financial bottom line, and then he's looked at the money they have shelled out without a winning political return. The fact that he's thinking and looking at it put a strain on their marriage."

"That's two icky rumors about Vince McMahon but neither pose a threat to his safety." MiraBeth sighed.

"Stephanie and Triple H would be pissed and Linda would be hurt but it doesn't seem like either gain anything from kidnapping Vince." Sam said.

"Agreed. What do you think about competitors or former employees? Did you hear anything in that realm?"

"I didn't hear anything on that front. Why do you ask?"

MiraBeth handed Sam a copy of a still frame. "Who does this look like to you?"

"Why would he be here? And how would he get this close? There's more to this…" Sam said.

"I guess we follow the evidence. This could still be a publicity stunt."

"True. True."


	7. Planting Seeds

The WWE show was three-quarters of the way through when the officers finished collecting evidence from the limousine. All of the evidence gathered filled a 7 inch by 2 inch tote bag, frustrating the women to no end. "How can the owner of the WWE disappear and leave this little bit behind?"

"Either this person was very good or very lucky."

"What's our next step? Do we ask about **_him_**?" Sam asked.

"I say we play that close to the vest for now. In order for him to get into the arena, even parking, someone had to know something on the inside. Even if they didn't mean to assist they were unwilling accomplices in the abduction by letting him get that close. If it was Vince himself, he had to have helped plan the whole thing. Right?" MiraBeth hypothesized. Sam nodded. "How much longer is there in the show? With these theories and the way rumors run in this show, why don't you go back undercover and see what else you can get? We've got more to go on and you haven't been made as a cop yet."

"I get the fun job." Sam said with a smile as she headed off.

MiraBeth took the bag of evidence and walked back through the arena halls. "There is the hot cop we were looking for!" The sound of a smack rang out through the hall followed by an "Ouch! Dude, you know you think she's hot. Ouch! Stop hitting me!"

MiraBeth schooled her expression before she turned to face the two large men tussling around like juveniles. "Did you two need something? Maybe a night in the penitentiary to explore your latent"

Dean cut her off quickly. "Don't you dare finish that statement! There is nothing 'latent' about either of us, thank you very much!" She shook her head and continued walking. "How is your investigation going?"

"What investigation?" she asked.

"Seth keeps talking about Vince being kidnapped. Stephanie and Triple H are acting very weird tonight, which actually gives credence to his wacky rumor this time. That and the other woman that is lurking around here who has a decidedly cop feel to her. Something is going on." Dean explained.

"It is rare that any of Seth's rumors have merit, so we are being cautious." Roman said with a soft smile. "Remember when he said that shampoo had to be foam-free because foam was poisonous? He threw away all of our shampoo. Tossed our deodorant because it had aluminum as a main ingredient. Do you really want to travel with three men who have no shampoo or deodorant? I have no idea how that one started." Roman's voice was still soft as he remembered another one of Seth's fanatical wild goose chases.

"That was horrid. We snuck around for two weeks having Cesaro carry our stuff. When Seth found out he acted like a girlfriend who'd been cheated on." Dean shook his head.

"Sounds awful." MiraBeth was still walking.

Roman touched her arm gently. "Really, we'd like to know what's going on and if there is anything we can do to help. I swear we can keep our mouths shut."

"It is kind of you to offer. The way that you are talking about your friend, if there was a case…How would I be able to trust you to keep information confidential?"

Dean began to shift his weight from one leg to another in excitement. "So something is going on!"

"We have a person of interest. I am going to count on your discretion." MiraBeth looked both men in the eyes. They nodded. "We have on good authority that this person is 6'2" or 6'3" and has brown hair and brown eyes. This man is also a former employee of the WWE and is middle aged – we believe in his forties or fifties."

"Do you have a specific person?" Roman asked.

"We have some images that need to be cleared up, but he was in casual clothes and knew Mr. McMahon very well."

* * *

><p><strong><em>elsewhere backstage<em>**

"So if you have any ideas on why Shane would be mad at his father, give us a call at this number." Sam said to Dolph Ziggler.

**_at another location backstage_**

"I know Eric Bischoff was before your time, but he has been a major competitor of Vince's. If you hear rumors as to Eric wanting to harm or get even with Vince, give us a call." Sam said to Antonio Cesaro.

**_outside of the men's locker room_**

"We know that CM Punk was furious when he left and has maintained that unhappiness with the company and Mr. McMahon in the meantime. If you hear of any worse feelings, that he is harboring the desire for revenge, we need to know about it." Sam said to Seth Rollins.

**_in catering_**

"If you hear any other rumors about trouble between Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, please give us a call." Sam said to the Bella twins.

**_in the parking lot as they were leaving_**

"I overheard rumor that Sting and Stone Cold may have left amid some drama. Being veterans, if you hear anything that might be important along those lines, please give us a call. We want to clear innocent people's names before their reputations get besmirched." Sam said to Big Show, Miz and GoldDust.


	8. Working Out

**In the event that the man portraying Seth Rollins were to read this - Most humble apologies for making Seth appear to be a fruitloop who believes any story that crosses his path. It is not my intent to insult his character. This is all in good fun!**

**I own no characters that you may recognize. **

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><p>Roman Reigns was still wiping the sleep out of his eyes and taking the last swig of his coffee as he entered the gym with Dean Ambrose. Both men carried their gear in bags by their sides; towels, tape, wrist guards, drinks, a change of clothes, and an assortment of things they might need for their work outs. They wanted two things at this time – a good work out and people to leave them alone while they did it. This was their time, personal time, time to focus. After stopping in the men's locker room and put on their wrist guards and head phones, they headed for the mats to stretch. Roman was shocked when Dean slapped his shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"<p>

"Look! There she is." Dean whispered. Roman looked across the gym. The men watched MiraBeth do what looked like a series of inverted sit-ups on a hyperextension bench. "You know the other name for that equipment, don't you?" Dean teased. "That's called a Roman Chair." This time Roman slapped Dean on the back of the head. "Ouch! I was just trying to get you to go over to her! Damn!" MiraBeth seemed oblivious to the two men as she moved to on to the chest press. Dean heard Roman's audible groan. "You have two choices. Work out with me…or work out with **_her_**. You choose." Dean headed towards the equipment he wanted to start on muttering "Damn fool."

* * *

><p>MiraBeth finished her chest press reps and was moving off that piece of equipment towards the leg press when a very large body moved into her line of vision. She stepped to the left, keeping her eyes averted as she adjusted her ear buds. The person also moved to the left. MiraBeth stepped to the right, feeling as if she was starting to dance with the individual in front of her as they also moved right. It wasn't until she felt fingers graze her wrist that she looked up into the face of Roman Reigns and saw his lips moving. Removing one ear bud, she softly said, "Hi."<p>

"Good morning." he said with a kind smile. "I didn't know you were a member here."

"Yep. I like to get a good work out in before my shift starts." she responded as she finally made her way around Roman and got to the leg press. She hid her surprise when he took residence on the machine beside her. Knowing that he understood the importance of a good workout and correct form, she continued her exercise. Roman lifted heavier weights, but did similar reps. When she progressed on to the rowing machine, he was right beside her. On a rest cycle, MiraBeth removed her ear buds. "Is there a reason you are shadowing my every move?"

"I just wanted to talk to you. Is that okay?" he asked.

MiraBeth resumed rowing and said, "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

Roman stuttered at a complete loss for words. "Um…um…well…um…How long have you been in law enforcement?"

MiraBeth laughed. "I thought I was supposed to be the nervous one."

"Why would you be nervous?" Roman asked.

"Why are you?" she asked.

Roman stopped rowing and leaned on the hand grips as he looked at her. "You are beautiful, strong and confident. That is enough to make any man nervous when he approaches you."

MiraBeth snorted at his comment. "Ha! I think you've taken too many blows to the head. I am neither strong nor beautiful. I am only confident in that I know what I am doing on the job. Granted, I am curious and stubborn." she said with a smile, not missing a stroke as she continued to row.

Roman matched her strokes and thought about what he was going to say next. As his thoughts intensified, so did his rowing. MiraBeth began to match Roman's strokes unconsciously. "The fact that you don't know how attractive you are makes you even moreso. I have warned Dean away." he admitted with a small smile. "Strength – oh, hell, yeah. Not many women would attempt a work-out with me and you are keeping up very well."

"Hate to point this out, but you are keeping up with me." MiraBeth muttered. "I was here first."

"Whatever. Stop splitting hairs. Tomorrow I will start first and make sure you can keep up." Roman flexed harder. MiraBeth smirked to hide her sigh of attraction. "You are confident. You don't take flak from anyone. Wrestling superstars, men who are taller or stronger than you, the wealthy; you are confident and carry yourself that way. Anyone who sees you knows that you know what you are doing. You demand respect in the way you present yourself. As a man that…well…that is an appealing quality to find. You don't cower and simper. So many women think that the coy flirty crap is attractive. 'Help me, I am a helpless female.' That crap is annoying. What's so funny?" Roman tossed a quizzical glare to the size as MiraBeth began to cackle. The sound of Roman trying to man his voice sound like a shrilly female struck her as hilarious and she was unable to control her reaction. Roman stopped rowing and watched as she clutched her stomach and nearly rolled off her machine as she howled and kicked her feet. "Really?" When he saw tears start to streak down her cheeks, he began to smile. "I am not sure what I said that was _this_ funny, but this is quite interesting to watch."

MiraBeth began to collect herself. "You…You…You sounded so…" That was all she got out before she lost it again. She gave up trying to sit on the rowing machine and laid on the floor next to it. "High Ppp…Pit…Pitch! So not you!"

Roman's face finally split into a wide grin. He repeated the same shrilly pitch and said, "You think this is funny?" and watched her roll on her side.

"Stop! Stop!" she begged holding up one hand.

Dean came over to the laughing couple. "Having fun?" Roman glared at him. "Seth is almost to the door. Thought I'd let you know before the WWE rumor mill came in."

MiraBeth wiped her eyes and managed to get her breathing back under control just as Seth Rollins made a b-line for the rowing machines. Dean rolled his eyes and held out a hand to help her off the floor just as his friend began talking. "Oh, good I was hoping to see you away from the arena. Why were you on the floor? Did you fall off the machine? I can show you how to work out. Cross Fit is so much better, they should open one around here. Oh! So anyway, before I left last night this other chick, I think she is a cop, too, asked about CM Punk as a suspect. She'd asked if I had heard anything about him being mad about leaving the company and wanting revenge. So I found out that he was quote disgruntled end quote before severing ties with the WWE, but he is all peaches and cream now. He's been busy and is happy with how AJ has been treated so he doesn't have a reason to go after Vince. While he was pissy, he talked to the Hardy brothers and they are still unhappy with Vince because they can't make WWE type money anywhere else. Crappy things have happened in their lives and they kinda think that if they had been taken care of better by Vince and the WWE they would be in a better place now."

"Seriously? Do you ever breathe?" MiraBeth asked Seth. "You just spouted out a whole lot and I may have caught about half of it." She looked at Dean and Roman. "And you listen to this every day? Doesn't he make your ears bleed?" Seth's mouth dropped open as Dean and Roman laughed. "The Hardy's – Matt and Jeff. They should be in North Carolina with their families. We'll check into them."

"I don't talk that much. I was just trying to help." Seth muttered, turning to walk away.

Dean winked at Roman and MiraBeth. "Is this a good time to point out that Seth was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and hat that night? Those are casual clothes. He is also 6 foot one. That fits the description of the perp."

Seth paled. "Whaat? No. No. No way! You know that I…NO! There's no way…" He sat on the nearby bench press hard, holding his head in his hands and moaning. "You can't suspect **_me_**!" he wailed.

MiraBeth shook her head at Dean with a smile before patting Seth on the head. "Your, um, I guess he's your friend, although I would use that term loosely right now, he left out the other part of the description. Yes, the description is of a man wearing casual clothes that night and his height is in the six foot two or three inch range, but he is also middle aged – like around forty or fifty. You are what, 12?"

Seth's head shot up. "I'm 28, nowhere near middle aged. And I don't act like I'm 12 – I'm just a little hyper."

"Good to know. Also good to know that you realize what it feels like to be falsely accused, something you need to remember during an investigation. I appreciate you trying to help, and if Mr. McMahon is truly missing this will be all hands on deck, but we will not be making accusations without solid proof." MiraBeth explained.


	9. Returning to the Arena

MiraBeth arrived at the station two hours before her scheduled shift began. "Hey, Captain. If you don't mind, I'm going to continue that special assignment from last night."

"Was there something to it?" he asked.

"Possibly. There isn't anything concrete yet. If I find anything more than speculation, I will turn it over to the detective unit. I just don't want to leave the WWE without a uniformed officer if something does happen and have us explaining why we didn't take the threat seriously." MiraBeth explained.

"Good point. I'm not wasting the additional manpower two nights in a row, though. If something does happen, call for back-up." the Captain ordered.

* * *

><p>Parking her cruiser in the same location as the previous evening, MiraBeth entered the arena and walked the same halls that she had the night before. Keeping to the same pattern, she also took photos of the area as she walked. Once she reached the deserted area known as catering, she sat down in an empty corner and opened her notebook. So far the only concrete information she had was someone had been in the backstage area of the arena who was a former employee. His mannerisms were suspicious and the video was grainy. <em>Seriously. This day in age, this shouldn't be an issue. Grainy footage? That is so 1980's. <em>MiraBeth looked at the picture and her list of suspects. There were several that she hadn't shared with anyone else, keeping them close to the vest. The question she really needed to answer was who had the most to gain from Vince McMahon disappearing? Or was it who had the most to lose if Vince McMahon arrived? Either way, MiraBeth needed the answer to that question. The other major thing that was bothering her was that this suspect was a former employee, so they needed some sort of help from the inside. This person may have been a willing accomplice or an unknowing accomplice. How easy would it be for the culprit to say they wanted to visit an old friend and actually be up to no good? Everyone has been taken advantage of at some point in the past. MiraBeth wondered what had happened in this case and how she could go about proving it.

"You look deep in thought." A deep voice interrupted her pondering. MiraBeth looked up into the grey-green eyes of Roman Reigns. "Anything you are ready to talk through?"

"Not yet. Is there a room that I can use to spread out and not get interrupted?" she asked.

"Do you trust me?" She had a quizzical look before she nodded. "If you trust me, then I will let you spread out in the locker room assigned to me. I will need to change and shower after my match but other than that I can stay out of your way and let you have it to yourself."

MiraBeth looked at Roman hard. "You won't say a word?" Roman raised an eyebrow, looking perturbed that she would even ask the question. "I am going out on a limb letting a civilian close to this, so forgive me." she explained. "And the rumors that are running rampant around here are insane. I don't want to feed into them and taint the investigation in anyway."

Roman nodded. "I get it, completely." He led the way to the locker room. "Can I get your number? That way I can let you know I am on my way before I have to change for my match." Once her number was stored in his phone, he said "If you like, I'll wander around and keep my ears open. I'm not going to ask questions but I can listen. Would that help?"

MiraBeth patted Roman's hand. "I appreciate your offer. I cannot ask or accept that kind of help, though. I want you to consider this…what someone you work with, someone you currently respect…is somehow involved? They may not mean to be. If they are...and you helped me find out…you helped with their arrest…That would be very hard for you to deal with. Let me do my job. Know that you are being wonderful in giving me peace and quiet. Know that I don't want you to have any regrets."

Roman said "You know something or at least have a pretty good suspicion." He walked to the door looked over his shoulder saying, "Good luck. Lock the door behind me. And know that I appreciate what you just tried to do."


	10. Talking Through the Rumors

Once MiraBeth was locked in the room by herself, she began to spread her notes around the room. Using Roman's tape _I hope he doesn't mind, it is for a good cause –_ she taped pieces that began to match up on the walls.

"The man that was seen on the tape appeared to be between six foot two and six foot three. He clearly had brown hair and dark eyes, probably brown. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties." She picked up her notes on Eric Bischoff. "This man is five foot ten, too short." She put her notes on him in on the table in the middle of the room. "Drew McIntyre is six foot six and so is Jake the Snake Roberts, so they are too tall." She put their names with Eric Bischoff's. "Someone put Alex Riley's in there because of his brown hair and brown eyes. True, he wasn't happy that he stopped wrestling on t.v. but he is still employed. Hmm. New pile…possible conspirators. I'll put him…over here." MiraBeth turned around and picked up the nearest notes. "CM Punk…appeared to leave under duress but is happily employed elsewhere. He is also too young." She moved her notes on him to the ever-growing pile of not-suspects and picked up another piece of paper.

"Shane McMahon…Vince's forty-four year old son. He is six foot two. He has a history of working well with his sister and his mother. People wouldn't really think twice about seeing him here since he is a McMahon. He is a viable suspect." She taped Shane's name on the wall. "Shawn Michaels…forty-nine years old and a popular veteran in the back. He comes to visit regularly. The McMahons must like him with the whole Montreal Screwjob incident. He's also six foot one, close to the approximate height of the perp." She turned back to the wall, taping his name under Shane's. "He's also a viable suspect. Good friend of Hunter's, Vince's, and could work well with the McMahon women." The next paper she picked up caused her to snort. "I am going to guess Sam put Buff Bagwell in here. Really, Sam? I'll give you that he has brown hair and brown eyes. He is 6'1" and he's 44 years old. But who around here has contact with him? How would he get close to Vince? Buff would stick out like a sore thumb backstage. He was only in the WWE for one year way, way, way back. He was a WCW dude. He goes in the 'no way, who cares?' pile."

MiraBeth propped her hands on her hips. "Who's left?" Picking up another page of notes, she said "Sting…55 years old and six foot three years old…but I don't see these guys…well…what goes on in front of the cameras isn't necessarily what happens behind them, either." MiraBeth sighed. "Where to categorize this guy…" She looked around the room. "I am going to put him with Alex Riley. I don't know about either of you yet. Now, Stone Cold Steve Austin. Stone Cold is a good friend of Vince McMahon's as evidenced by that podcast they just did. He also fits the age range since he is 49 years old and he is six foot two inches tall. If Vince is perpetrating a publicity stunt, Stone Cold could be his accomplice so he goes on the wall." She looked at the three remaining names on the floor. "Al Snow and Val Venus, hmm…both fit the age and the height description. Both fit the eye color and hair color description. But…both were employed by WWE after their wrestling careers ended. Both were taken care of and were quite happy. I'm adding them to the not suspect pile."

She picked up the last name and drew a deep breath. "Rosey…360 pounds, six foot four inches and 44 years old…not particularly thrilled that he disappeared from wrestling in 2009 but he has a successful restaurant. He also has had health issues. Could he really be a viable suspect?" MiraBeth sat on a chair and stared at the notes. She continued talking out loud to herself. "Why am I questioning this? Is it because I am wondering about the person or his brother? Specifically his brother's reaction?" She rolled the paper up and whacked herself in the forehead and then looked up at the ceiling. "Um…" Looking around again, she seized up on the photo from the garage again. "There's no way this guy is over 300 pounds. Rosey is out."

MiraBeth stood back and looked at the wall. After starting with 15 names of possible suspects, she had it narrowed down to three good ones and two so-so ones. She also had two working theories of what could be motives. Not too shabby for one day's work.

Her ringing phone let her know that Roman was on his way. She met him at the door, letting him in and locking the door behind him. "Hey." He unlocked his phone and handed it to her. "You might want to listen to this."

"I thought I told you…"

"You are welcome." he interrupted.

"Thank you for whatever you have done." she said, sitting down with his phone.

Roman walked towards his bag, pausing as something caught his eye. "Why is my brother's name in this pile?" he asked, picking up the paper with Rosey's information on it.

"Before you get upset, he's been ruled out. That's the not-suspect pile." MiraBeth explained.

"What pile am I in?" Roman asked, irritation clearly showing in his voice. "If my brother was possible, so am I."

"Only previously employed workers were possible and you are a current employee. Remember that conversation we had before you left the room? Come on, Roman. I know this is rough. This isn't over yet. I haven't found Mr. McMahon. I did rule out ten people, so a lot of progress has been made. And I am probably going to need some help now. Please don't abandon me now." Roman glared at her.

His reply was two octaves lower than she had heard before. "Do not accuse anyone in my family. We did not do this." He turned on his heel and slammed the bathroom door.

MiraBeth leaned against the door and sighed. "Dammit. I don't have time to straighten this out right now." She took a couple of steps away before she pushed play on his phone. She heard two male voices.

The first said, "Listen man, I gotta talk to you. Things have gotten out of hand, a lot further than…"

The second voice replied, "Shut up! Whatever you are about to say I don't want to hear  
>and I don't want to know. There are cops here."<p>

The recording stopped but MiraBeth already knew who she was going to question. The WWE might be sports entertainment and a foundation for acting, but he hadn't been _that _good.


	11. Tailing Suspects

MiraBeth pushed play on Roman's phone. She heard two male voices.

The first said, "Listen man, I gotta talk to you. Things have gotten  
>out of hand, a lot further than…"<p>

The second voice replied, "Shut up! Whatever you are about to say I don't want  
>to hear and I don't want to know. There are cops here."<p>

The recording stopped but MiraBeth already knew who she was going to question. The WWE might be sports entertainment and a foundation for acting, but he hadn't been _that _good. "Roman, Roman! I need to go find someone. Please know that I will come back and talk to you later." Hearing a grunted response, she walked across the room. Thinking twice about what she was about to do, she called Sam. "Hey, I'm going to need some back-up, pronto. Don't stop for any donuts or chocolate, okay? I'm about to piss-off a very important person."

* * *

><p>Her next call was to the Captain. "Yes, sir. Yes. There is a missing person. I am on my way to ask some more questions. No, sir. It is actually coming together rather quickly. Sam is on her way. More? If they station outside. We don't want to scare any fans." MiraBeth tucked her not-suspect notes into Roman's bag and added her two 'possibles' to that pile.<p>

MiraBeth looked at the notes left on the wall. _It's one of these_ she thought to herself. Shane, Shawn, or Stone Cold would be the unknown culprit talking to the man she was about to question. Roman came out of the bathroom as she reached for the first piece of paper. MiraBeth glanced over her shoulder and back at the three names on the wall. She froze. "Really, MiraBeth? Seriously? You put all three of these up here? Only one of them actually fits the description." She took two down and added them to the not-suspect pile. The last one she folded and put into her pocket. "Be careful out there." she said to Roman, kissed him quickly on the lips and dashed out the door with the photo from the parking garage in her hand.

"What the hell?" Roman said as he rubbed his fingers across his lips.

* * *

><p>"Who are you looking for?" MiraBeth rolled her eyes as Seth Rollins found her.<p>

"I promise I will fill you in later. Actually, I promise I will fill you in if you will help my co-worker find me when she gets here." Seth's eyes lit up at this prospect. "You keep your eyes out looking for her and I'll keep doing what I'm doing. This is hush-hush." While he was distracted she headed down the hallway where she had just seen a cowboy hat. Three minutes later, MiraBeth was face to face with JBL. "Hi! I am looking for Hunter. Have you seen him?"

"He headed that way." JBL said politely, pointing toward the parking garage.

MiraBeth headed that way on the double. Her footsteps were muffled by her rubber soles, so she knew to slow her approach as she heard voices. "What are we going to do about the police officer?"

"Nothing. She is chasing her tail. There are so many rumors going on around here…" MiraBeth began recording their conversation. If they were stupid enough to talk in the open hallway where anyone could come along, that was their stupidity!

"She has the glass from the limo. Were your prints on it?"

"Nah. I may have touched the door but Vince dropped the glass without help from me. I think I propped my hand on the roof when I grabbed his elbow…Yeah that's about it. But I wiped that down. She can't get my prints and you moved the cameras so we are good. Vince is secured on my ranch and no one will find him there."

"You are sure? If he comes back, we are out of power. Steph and I need this, man. If we aren't on television our pay gets cut. We have to have that money to pay our bills."

"I get it, man. Times are tight. Just like always, we have each other's back. This isn't going to be a Curtain Call. I guarantee you of that." Their voices began to fade as they walked away.

MiraBeth stopped recording and followed the men down the hall. As she passed the intersection of another hallway, an arm reached out and yanked her. "Shh. Don't scream."


	12. Uh Oh

"What are you going to do with a cop?" the gravely, husky voice whispered.

"Stuff her ass in the trunk. She is by herself tonight. Who is going to miss her? Just drive. Drive out of the city and dump the car. I'll pick you up after the show and then we'll deal with Vince." MiraBeth didn't say anything and didn't struggle. She fake-tripped and slipped her phone into a lower pocket in her pants, knowing that they were going to take her weapons. Her gun was already gone. "Stay upright, woman!" The trio reached MiraBeth's cruiser and popped her trunk. As she rolled into the trunk, she looked into the faces of both men confirming her suspicions. The lid slammed closed.

MiraBeth immediately fished her phone from her pocket and called Sam. "In deep shit. Stuck in my trunk, being taken away from the arena. Shawn and Hunter. Calling Captain and sending audio file to your phone." She disconnected and called the Captain. As soon as he picked up, she briefed him. "Sir, Vince McMahon was kidnapped last night. I have been taken and am currently in the trunk of my car. Shawn Michaels is driving my cruiser away from the arena. Hunter Hurst Helmsley is his accomplice. I am sending an audio file to your e-mail and to Sam's phone."

"MiraBeth, we are going to find you." the Captain assured her.

"Sir, I am sure you will. Rest assured I also have a plan. These two were in a rush to get me away from the arena. My hands are not bound. My gun was taken from my holster. The audio file should be coming through any time. You can track my phone. I am going to leave it in my pocket." MiraBeth tucked the phone back in her pocket and faced the back of the car. She began to work on the rear tail light, loosening one of the wires. It is a well-known fact that if you are kidnapped and stuffed in a trunk you should pull tail-light wires to put out one of the lights. She figured that putting out one of her tail-lights would help make her cruiser stand out. Couldn't hurt. Right? Her next step was to maneuver around to reach for a tool she knew would help protect her and possibly let her escape; her Taser.

After several twists, turns, bumps, and lots of cursing from the front of the car, Shawn brought the car to an abrupt stop. He cut the engine and slammed the door. MiraBeth heard him stomp towards the trunk and prepared for her attack. She held the Taser with one hand and propped the other on the trunk lid. As soon as she heard the latch pop, she threw the trunk open and scanned for Shawn. Finding him in a fraction of a second, she took aim and fired as she climbed from the trunk. He dropped to the ground. She released the trigger. The prongs remained lodged in him so he knew she could refire if she needed to do so a second time. MiraBeth leaned over Shawn, whispering "It's just you and me" as she pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and tossed it aside. "Where is the ranch? I want an address." He stuttered out the information she wanted, including which building Vince was being kept in. "What was Hunter's end game?"

"I can't tell you that. He's my best friend." Shawn whined.

"You really want another go-round? No one will know, Shawn. It's just you and me here." MiraBeth threatened.

"No, no, no." he begged. "Hunter's power hungry and in debt. He has to stay on television. Vince was going to take that away from him." Shawn was nearly crying. Sirens were heard in the distance. "Oh, thank God!"

"How did you think you could get away with kidnapping a police officer?" MiraBeth asked, rolling Shawn to his stomach and handcuffing him. "Just how stupid can you be?"

"It was an accident." He yelled.

"You accidentally kidnapped a police officer?" the Captain repeated, huffing and puffing as he did his version of a run from his car to the scene. "That is your claim? Son, get an attorney before you say anything else. Seriously. If you are saying you accidentally kidnapped a police officer and stuffed her in the truck of her own car without meaning to, you need all the help you can get. Please don't say anything else." The Captain took Shawn by the arm and walked him away, shaking his head.


	13. Emotional Turmoil

_I have said before that I write to escape. That is what this chapter has been. I am sharing it with you. Why? Unless you know a fire fighter, an EMS provider, a paramedic, or a police officer, you probably don't realize how much they bring home with them. How the calls they go on affect them. They appear so tough, so strong - They have to. They are helping people in the worst moments of their lives and they do this gladly, repeatedly. It takes its toll. Those of us who love someone in these professions, we are the support system. We are their sounding board.  
>What about those that don't have that? What about those who only hear the hatred spouted in the media?<em>

_As I said, this chapter was an escape - a vent for me - because I needed one._

_It is very emotional._

* * *

><p><strong><em>one month later<em>**

MiraBeth walked in the back door of her small home. She left her boots on the mat by the door. She put her belt on top of the dryer and began peeling her uniform into the washer. Everything; shirt, pants, socks, underwear…even the material covering for her bullet-proof vest went into the machine. Without a stitch on, MiraBeth walked through the house to the bathroom and turned the shower on as warm as she could tolerate. She scrubbed at her skin vigorously. Dropping the washcloth, she grabbed the loofah and pommeled her skin until it passed from pink to red, almost as if she had scratched through it. Tears began to pour from her eyes as her knees finally gave way sending her to the shower floor. Sobs wracked her body. Screams filled the steamy room as the stalwart police officer curled into a ball and let her emotions go.

* * *

><p>"Have you heard from MiraBeth lately?" Vince asked Roman as they passed in the hall backstage. "How's she doing?"<p>

"We talk regularly." Roman told his boss. "I plan on seeing her again the next time we are off."

"She wasn't on that call, was she? I heard it was bad." Vince paused to ask the large Samoan. "That would be enough to shake anyone." Roman looked at Vince blankly. "You don't know what I'm talking about."

"I've been in the gym and with Creative all day. Haven't heard a thing."

Vince shook his head sadly. "Tragic. So many lives." He turned and walked away, leaving Roman alone and befuddled in the hallway. Not waiting long, the big man headed for his phone to search for headlines and call the woman they had been discussing.

* * *

><p>MiraBeth curled on her bed, clutching her pillow to her chest. Tears stained her cheeks. She tossed and turned as sleep finally claimed her but peace did not.<p>

_She had been dispatched to and accident with people trapped. The dispatcher said only one caller had reported the accident, which usually meant that the accident was minor or not really an accident. When she arrived, she keyed up her radio to report she needed multiple paramedics, ambulances, fire trucks, and additional police units. Making sure that her car blocked the road, she got out as she pulled on her rubber gloves and approached the badly mangled car. She looked inside but didn't need to touch the driver to ascertain that he was gone. Checking quickly to make sure no one else was in the car, she approached the next vehicle. MiraBeth could hear the cries as she got closer. The closer she got to the van, the fainter the cries became. Using her baton to clear away broken glass, she determined that the driver was gone. The passenger was groaning but it was the child in the backseat that caused MiraBeth to take a step back and draw in a deep breath. She told herself that she was on her own and had to keep it together. She talked to herself as she rounded the front of the car. Checking the pulse of the passenger and realizing it was weak and thready, she took this time to radio in. "Mass casualty. Send everyone including the medical examiner. Priority." As she spoke, she felt the beat under her fingers weaken. "Please hold on." she begged. She felt the head loll to the side as the beating stopped. Pulling away from the van, MiraBeth now drew a shaky breath and headed for the charter bus that was partially off the roadway leaning against two very large trees. "Someone has to get here soon." She looked to the sky. "Please." She approached the front of the bus. The only way on was through the door that was angled down towards the ground against the tree. There was a large crack that ran the length of both panes of glass. Keying up her radio, MiraBeth reported, "Occupants of both cars are priority 4 (do not need medical treatment). Making entry on the charter bus now." Finally MiraBeth heard sirens approaching. Finally she would have help in this hell that she was seeing. Carefully she stood to the side and tapped the cracked glass, listening to it shatter so she could climb in. _

A shrill ringing sounded. MiraBeth pushed herself up to sit. She reached for her phone just as it stopped ringing. She swatted at the phone and headed for the kitchen to get something to drink. Then she curled up on one end of the sofa, pulling her feet under her and staring at the blank television screen. Sometime later the phone began to ring again. MiraBeth answered it without speaking.

"MiraBeth?" Silence. "Are you okay?" She did not answer him. "I guess this answers every question I have for you. You were there, it was worse than they are reporting, and you are alone."

MiraBeth's voice was trembling and hoarse as she replied. "You know a lot, Roman. Not much else to say except I am all talked out. Had a shit-load of counselors at the station. Don't really feel like talking now. Thanks for checking on me though." She disconnected the call, dropped the phone and buried her face in a pillow to sob again.

* * *

><p>Roman looked at the phone in his hand. Whatever hell she had witnessed was eating her up from the inside. It had to have been horrendous. Counselors could give advice and listen. They had experience with this type of stuff and he didn't. No one else could wrap her in a hug and hold her; no one else could promise to be with her. Did MiraBeth have a support system? Was there anyone who would check on her? Was she alone in her memories of what she had seen? Roman jumped up and headed down the hall in search of someone. Finding Vince, he pulled the man aside. "She was there." Roman's voice broke. He held up his phone. "I got through to her once. I don't think she's going to pick up again."<p>

Vince nodded. "Go. We will adjust the show. I owe her. Anything she needs." As Roman spun around, Vince spun him back. "ANYTHING." The two men's eyes met. Roman nodded and headed off to comfort MiraBeth, knowing that he would be battling some unknown nightmare that he was ill prepared to face.

* * *

><p><em>MiraBeth could hear people crying all around her. She focused on the person in her hands. She kept the girl's head still as the paramedic put the neck brace on her. She could feel the girl's warm skin…her hair as it wrapped around her wrist. <em>

"Shh…MiraBeth…Shh…I'm here. Wake up, hon." MiraBeth blinked up into concerned gray eyes. Long hair framed his face, hanging down to brush over her arms. Looking over his shoulder, she could tell that hours had passed since she had hung up on the man.

"What are you…"

"Shh…" He brushed his hand back over her forehead slowly. "I wasn't leaving you alone. You don't have to talk. We don't have to say anything. I'm just here. For anything. I need you to know that you aren't alone." he said, emotion heavy in his voice. When she opened her mouth again, he continued. "Your back door was unlocked. I locked it and brought some food with me. We don't have to leave." He caressed her head with one hand and touched her shoulder with the other. His gentle touch undid her again. She launched into his arms and buried into his chest, sobbing. "Let it out." he crooned, pulling her close and rubbing her back.


	14. Breaking Down Begins Healing

"I can't believe that you are here." MiraBeth whispered into Roman's chest.

"Where else would I be? You needed me." She felt the words rumble through his chest more than she heard them, he spoke so softly. He gently caressed her arms and back as he held her with just the right amount of pressure. She felt reassured but not suffocated. It was a delicate balance, but Roman achieved it with ease.

"How did you know? I didn't tell you. I pushed you away. I hung up on you." Her words came out in a whimper.

"Baby, baby…That's how I knew…" Roman tucked one finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at his. MiraBeth closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at him. "Mira, honey, look at me." He felt her draw a trembling breath. Roman slid his thumb across her chin, just skimming her lower lip. "Open your eyes. Look at me." MiraBeth's eyes fluttered open as she tried to meet Roman's gaze. "Just look at me and listen." He continually rubbed her chin and let his thumb periodically make contact with her lip as he spoke. He kept his tone even and low. "I have seen you methodically approach a mystery, taking apart clue by clue until you found the perps and Vince. I watched you handle untenable situations with men who were much larger than you with ease and no sign of discomfort. I know how we have approached our relationship, the steps we have taken to get to know each other with the demands of our careers. At no point in any of that have you acted the way you did on the phone. It was so out of character, so not you. I know I don't know everything about you. There are still growing pains that we will encounter. But I know your happy voice. I know your okay voice. I know your stressed voice. I know your p*ssed off voice. I also know that what I heard wasn't any of those." Roman shifted and held her head more firmly. "I had to be with you, to hold you, to let you know you weren't alone. I can't make it okay. But I can be here with you."

"No one can make it okay. No one can ever make it okay." Tears began leaking down MiraBeth's cheeks.

"I wouldn't dream of telling you I could. Just know if you want to talk I am here. If you don't want to, I am here. I'm not going anywhere, Mira. You don't have to be strong for me. Not this time. A relationship is give and take, hon. This is my time to give and your time to take. There will come a time when the tables are turned and you will be able to handle it. For now, though…" MiraBeth curled into his arms and chest. Roman held her as she cried quietly.

* * *

><p>The next time MiraBeth awoke it was to the smell of food. "You need to eat a little, babe." When she leaned forward, Roman slid behind her and pulled her against his chest. He balanced the plate on her knees and fed her the finger foods one bite at a time.<p>

"Ro…"

"Keep eating, Mira." he whispered. She licked his finger, drawing a groan. "Careful…" he drew out in a deep and gravelly voice.

"I am done eating, Roman." MiraBeth whispered, pushing the plate away. "And I am tired of fighting the memories alone. Help me forget for a little while." She turned and pressed her face against his neck. "Just for a little while." Her tongue ran up his neck to his ear. "Please."

Roman groaned and grasped her waist. "You win."


	15. Rumble

**I don't own Roman or The Rock. I only wish I had Vince McMahon's ear if only for a brief minute...**

* * *

><p>As much as Roman wanted to stay and comfort MiraBeth indefinitely, that wasn't an option. He was needed on the road. MiraBeth had to attend required counseling sessions to learn to cope with the things that she had seen at the accident scene. Roman took her to the first session, even sitting in the room for the last 10 minutes at her request. He let her counselor know that he would be an active participant in her life and that she wasn't alone but she wasn't cleared for duty or for travel. As the first person on the scene and the amount of time that she was there alone made her a special case, someone that was going to be monitored carefully. Roman wondered what he didn't know about the hell MiraBeth had endured. <em>Would she ever be okay? Will I be enough to get her through this whole and healthy? <em>It was with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience that Roman boarded the plane to return to the WWE.

MiraBeth tuned into the WWE broadcast, as thrilled as she could be to watch her man show his skill in the ring. Last year he was so close…this year was his year. She watched as he entered The Rumble. She cheered as he began eliminating other contestants. She froze when she saw him get knocked in the nose and begin bleeding. As she fought back the memories and curled up on the sofa, MiraBeth whispered her cheers for her boyfriend. _I can beat this. I need to keep supporting him. The memories aren't going to take me away._ She continued to talk to herself as she tried to remain calm, watching the blood smear across his cheek as he eliminated another contestant. Roman battled the odds and won the 30 Man Battle Royal, drawing boo's and jeers from the crowd. MiraBeth sat up and stared at the television in shock. _How can they react like that? The same people that screamed that he should have won last year are angry that he won this year? Why? How? I don't understand? He looks confused. Lost. His cousin looks angry. This doesn't make sense. Don't these people understand that this is scripted? Creative predetermined the outcome? Seriously._

Pacing the room, MiraBeth wondered what she should do. _When Roman knew I needed him, he dropped everything and came to me. Grow a set, MiraBeth. Woman up. _Picking up the phone, she started to call Roman but she hung up three separate times. _Put your big girl panties on! Act like you are a woman who can actually fill her own bra cup! Sheesh, woman!_ Before she could talk herself out of it, she snatched her computer and booked the next flight and called Sam for a ride to the airport.

* * *

><p>MiraBeth was the last person to get off the plane. She pried her fingers off of the armrests and reached for her carry-on bags realizing that the last of the other passengers were filing out of door. <em>Now or never. Bite the bullet. He's either going to be happy to see me or furious that I didn't talk to him.<em> Fastening her coat tightly, she headed finally deplaned. Walking though the terminal with her eyes cast down, she failed to notice the large man standing off to the side until he matched her step. "Any particular reason you didn't let my cousin know you were coming?" he asked softly. She stutter-stepped before he gently put his arm around her waist and relieved her of her bags. "Roman can't leave the hotel. The proverbial shit hit the fan with the…" he trailed off with an aggravated snort and growl. "He doesn't deserve…"

"That's why I am here." Her voice came out in a cracked whisper. "If he can support me through my…stuff, I can be here for him. No matter what." MiraBeth felt a strong squeeze around her waist.

"You will be good for him. Don't let him wallow. He deserves the push, the success." The Rock opened the door of a waiting car for MiraBeth and stowed her bags in the trunk. "Realize that he is still very worried about you, too. Are you okay?" She nodded. As the car drove through the airport lot he patted her knee. "You went through hell. I'm sure you have professionals to talk to but you need to talk to someone who is there just for you. Let him in. He won't give you advice, he'll just listen. He knows you are strong. Whatever you say to him won't change his opinion of you."

MiraBeth grabbed his hand. "Once the words are spoken, the images are there. They can't be erased. I don't want him to have to live with them."

The Rock touched her chin. "Roman can shoulder whatever you need him to and will do so gladly. You have to live with these images so he will want to share them. He can't see them firsthand, the way you did, but he can hear from you. He can be with you when you need him, when you relive that time." He squeezed her hand. "The time will come when he will be injured and a pain in your rump. You will repay the support and he will be describing to you what he felt, what he saw, what the move was supposed to be and what really happened. When he is sleeping and relives the match you will know exactly what part he is in because you will have heard it so many times. That is what he wants to hear from you now. When you are in your nightmare, he wants to know exactly where you are and what you are reliving. That way he can talk you out of it." Tears began to well in MiraBeth's eyes. "I know this because I used to have this type of relationship and I hope to have it again someday." he whispered. The car was approaching the hotel. "The two of you don't have to do this alone. Vince thinks a lot of you. You have the support of Roman's family; the Uso's and me, we are available anytime."

"Thank you." MiraBeth whispered.

"Help Roman see that he is better than that crowd reaction and we're golden."


	16. Need

MiraBeth stood outside of the door, now fearing Roman's reaction. His cousin knew she was coming and had met her at the airport. _Did Roman know? Would he be happy or angry? Maybe I should have called before I hopped on the plane._ She adjusted her grip on her bags and stared at the numbers on the door. Tan knuckles rapped on the wood right in front of her face. "He will be so glad you are here." MiraBeth's head whipped to the side to see Jey Uso walking away. Before she could respond she heard the lock turning and the door opening.

Roman didn't say anything as he reached out and pulled her into the room, tossing her bags carelessly behind him. The door shut as he lifted her up into his arms and buried his face at the base of her neck and drew in a deep breath. "You smell so good." he whispered, letting his lips graze her skin as he spoke. MiraBeth wrapped her arms around his head and held him where he was. She felt a tremble race through his body before he clenched his muscles to prevent another one. She felt him swallow hard to control his emotions. She tightened her hold, knowing that he was trying to be strong for her benefit. This was confirmed when he asked, "When were you cleared to travel? I didn't know you had another appointment."

MiraBeth wrapped her legs around Roman's waist and positioned herself to look into his eyes as she caressed his neck and thumbed over his ears. She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips followed by another. "I am recovering. Am I whole? No. But I am getting better, thanks to the counselor and an amazingly supportive man who has and will do just about anything for me." She kissed him again. "We are in a **relationship**, Roman. That involves give and take. Remember that conversation? You have given me so much…Now I want to be here with you, to give to you. You can lean on me; seek solace in me." Roman tried to pull his head back to say something but MiraBeth held on and pressed another series of kisses against his mouth, unrelenting until Roman gripped her hips and returned her sign of affection. Then MiraBeth retreated slightly and kept their foreheads together. "You and I, we can handle the rough times together…Can't we?"

Roman's eyes glittered with almost feral delight as he flicked the locks into place. His voice was a deep growl as he spoke. "You came here, amongst all of…**_this_**…alone, for me. To be with me. To support me." She nodded. His hands clenched her hips almost painfully as he strode across the room. Her bag was in his straight-line path to the bed, so he booted it farther across the room, drawing a soft giggle from MiraBeth. "Something funny?" Her laughter faded as she took in the intensity of his desire. Roman sat on the bed, folding her legs behind him. He reached for the hem of her shirt. "You really don't know how badly I need you…"

"I do…" she whispered, kissing his cheek as she grabbed his shirt and pulled it up at the same time. Moans, whispers, caresses and sighs filled the room until MiraBeth was lying in the middle of the bed with Roman hovering over her, poised and ready. "Please, Ro…I need you."

Roman leaned over to kiss her silent. Her hands slid into his hair as he thrust home, grunting her name on a muttered breath. She threw her head back in unrestrained ecstasy. When his name escaped on a sigh he was powerless to resist. Roman lost control, burying his hurt and frustration deep inside MiraBeth's body. She screamed her completion and satisfaction, echoing his name throughout the room.

Then, all was quiet. The joined couple laid together, curled, unwilling to separate from the other.


	17. Snowbound Heart-to-Heart

**Two reminders: I don't own anything related to the WWE.** If I did, I wouldn't have planned shows in Connecticut and Boston for the end of January 2015. Guess what? That's prime Nor'easter and Blizzard season! The same exact thing happened a year or two ago when Bon Jovi kicked off their last tour (before Richie Sambora left the group). They played a concert in the hotel/casino instead of at the arena because of the travel ban.

**This chapter revisits events that happened with MiraBeth in chapter 13. It may be emotional. Just a heads-up.**

* * *

><p>Blizzard Juno slammed the northeast hard. The WWE superstars were stuck in the hotel for two and a half days, giving Roman and MiraBeth plenty of quality time together. There was lots of one-on-one passionate time as well as conversational time about future plans. MiraBeth had taken The Rock's words to heart, Roman needed to know what her worst memories were – the things that didn't make the news.<p>

The couple sat on the bed facing each other. Roman held MiraBeth's hands. "I want to know. I know it was horrible, worse than I can imagine. Coming home to you and not knowing what you are reliving…that is what really bugs me. I need to know."

MiraBeth whispered, "Home? You think of it as coming home?"

He pulled her closer making sure their knees were touching. "Being with you means being home." His thumbs ran lightly over the backs of her hands. "I need to make your home a safe place."

Tears welled in MiraBeth's eyes as she ducked her head. Roman didn't move. He watched her take several deep, calming breaths. "It was put out as an accident with people trapped. The dispatcher said there was only one caller, something that usually tells us that it is minor. A huge accident gets lots of calls and the people are frantic. With just one caller and not much information, I was the only person that was sent to the scene." She shook her head slowly. "I looked at the massive mess of wrecked vehicles and asked for everyone to come. I didn't have to get out of my car to know it was bad, the worst that I had ever seen. I had my first aid kit and knew that wasn't going to do any good. Still, I put on my rubber gloves and headed for the first car. The driver was obviously dead. I made sure no one else was in the car and jogged to the next vehicle, a van. I could hear someone crying." Tears were rolling down her face now. "You know how you can hear someone crying and it gets fainter as you walk away? Well this was just like that except I was getting closer. The closer I got, the more faint the cries became. I was there as that person died, Roman. I was right **there** as they drew their last breath. I was touching their neck, feeling their pulse as it stopped.I felt sick. Then I saw the child in the backseat…" She trailed off at the memory. Roman continued to caress her hands. Taking a shaky breath she continued. "I couldn't allow myself to dwell on that, to mourn. I couldn't allow myself to feel sick, either. I radioed again, reiterating that this was a mass casualty accident and that the medical examiner needed to come to the scene, not wait at the office. Then I finally headed for the trickiest vehicle, the charter bus."

"You were still alone." Roman whispered.

"I was still alone, looking at a bus that was sitting crooked. The door was angled down and against a tree. Only the wheels on that side were on the ground, the others were in the air. The bus wasn't designed to sit like that…the passengers were going to start moving around and panicking. The bus could tip or slide. More people could get hurt. I had to do something for anyone who had survived. I headed for the door and saw a crack in the glass. I broke it and radioed that I was entering the bus. Finally…finally I heard sirens." MiraBeth closed her eyes and Roman knew she was seeing herself on the bus again. He shifted closer, draping her legs over his. "The driver was belted into his seat, but that didn't help. The impact had…anyway, I moved to the first seat. The passengers from the right side of the bus had fallen on top of the passengers on the left. I told them that help was coming and that they needed to stay as still as possible. We would get them out as quickly and safely as possible. They were still trying to maneuver off of one another. I could hear the moans and cries that were beginning to set in. Some were starting to wail. You can't imagine the sounds." She swallowed as the memories set in. Roman's hands moved to her back as he tried to keep her calm through the memory. "I heard the fire department arrive. They shared my concern about the bus sliding and they knew that an officer was on the bus. They wanted me off until they got it stabilized."

"You didn't get off."

"They needed help. They needed some measure of reassurance that help was with them and my uniform provided that. I had to bear down and focus, knowing and remembering that help was just outside. They were going to figure out how to keep us as safe as possible, I just had to buy them time which wasn't going to be easy. I waded into the mass of bodies…turning when I heard a shout. A female paramedic had gotten on with me. We didn't really talk. She had some neck collars, so I held a girl's neck stable while she fixed the collar. We didn't have the ability to really take a lot of vitals or anything. Triage wasn't happening on the bus." MiraBeth dropped her head onto Roman's shoulder. "We could hear the firefighters talking and planning. The men outside handed collars and splints inside. If we could move a patient without jostling the bus, we did. That usually wasn't an option. Time drug on as we heard the fire engines moving around. Then some chains came through the windows and were wrapped under the bus as well. They tied the bus off so it wouldn't slash couldn't move. There was equipment on both sides keeping it steady. Finally some of the other providers could safely board and help us in treating and removing patients. I had been on that bus for almost forty-five minutes because it takes time to plan and ensure that everything is safe. Forty-five minutes, Roman."

"I hear you. I hear you." he said softly.

"When I got home, I stripped into the washer. Everything, every stitch I was wearing. My boots will have to be replaced. There's no saving them, not that I could wear them again, anyway. It was just…"

"Hell. You saw hell." he said gently. "You helped the survivors through the worst night of their lives. You gave them hope when there was nothing to hold on to. I know it's something you want to forget and you never will." He framed her face with his warm hands. "Mira, when you need that beacon, when you need that port in the storm, I am right here. I want you to remember something." He looked into her eyes. "When you are in that place, when you are reliving and feeling so helpless and alone, I want you to focus on right here right now. Remember my face. Remember my arms. Know that I am here; I always will be. You are never alone. Never again."

Mirabeth's tears streaked down her cheeks. "Home." she murmured as she burrowed into his chest. The two sat there leaning on each other. Slowly MiraBeth raised her head to place a kiss on Roman's throat, right on his adam's apple. "This goes both ways. Remember me sitting right here, wrapped around you. Remember the feel of me against your skin. How much we need and rely on each other, no matter what. When things get tough out there…" she tilted her head back towards the snow-covered window, "we are solid. That should mean something."

Roman captured her mouth in a quick but passionate kiss. "That means everything. Home."


	18. Fallout and Future Plans

Once the snow stopped falling, the trapped WWE employees were eager to get out and explore. Roman and MiraBeth included Dean and the Usos in their plans for lunch outside of the hotel. The men wanted to work out so Mirabeth stuffed her workout clothes in Roman's backpack as well. Sure enough, the guys were motivated and quickly found an open gym. Roman's cousins were happily surprised that MiraBeth knew her way around gym equipment and wasn't going to slow them down. Her work ethic and intensity matched theirs even if her strength didn't.

"What is this crap about?" Dean asked a little while later.

"What's up?" Roman asked.

"Some new WWE policy. Apparently 'on-air talents are not allowed to date or interact with other company personnel beyond a professional standpoint.' There is an exception that says we can date each other." he read from his phone.

"Excuse me?" Jimmy Uso nearly squeaked.

"I'm not diddling any of you dudes." Roman guffawed.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You know exactly what I meant." He nearly threw his phone down.

"I wonder who screwed up. You know for them to make that rule, someone has screwed up big time. That kind of rule goes public and people start to pry. There's enough bad press it is, they don't want any more." Jey sagely wondered from his bench press.

"I'm glad we don't have to worry about it." Roman winked at MiraBeth.

"Gee, thanks." Dean muttered as he walked away.

"I guess Dean might be caught up in the new rule?" MiraBeth asked Roman.

"I wouldn't know. We don't talk about women and probably won't until I settle down permanently." Roman said with a raised eyebrow.

"Not yet, Big Boy. Not yet." she said with a laugh as she danced out of his reach. Roman followed after his girlfriend, happy that they were finally able to get back to the workout that they were supposed to be doing.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Roman. Hey, MiraBeth. Great to see you both." Vince McMahon greeted as the couple backstage in the arena on Thursday.<p>

"Mr. McMahon." Roman greeted with a nod.

"Good afternoon." MiraBeth said with a smile.

"You are just the person I wanted to see." Mr. McMahon said to MiraBeth as he reached for her shoulder, guiding her down the hall. Roman followed, wondering what was going on.

"You know I have faith in your abilities as an officer of the peace and a first class detective." he began. MiraBeth listened as Vince went on about the needs that the WWE had for overhauling their security. "To top it off, we had the incidents Sunday night between fans and the Uso's and a fan and Fandango. I need to get someone in here who can oversee this and make sure this doesn't happen again. You would be perfect for the role."

"Nope." Roman interrupted. MiraBeth's head whipped around to look back at her boyfriend incredulously. Vince glared at the other man, not believing what he was hearing. "MiraBeth is not interested in working for the WWE under any circumstances. Ever." When MiraBeth opened her mouth to speak up for herself, Mr. McMahon beat her to the punch.

"Maybe you should let your girlfriend speak for herself. You might be surprised by what she has to say." the owner of the WWE said with an air of arrogance.

Roman looked Vince in the eye. "I know that if MiraBeth had to choose, she would choose me. And thanks to your latest directive, she cannot work her as a security expert and date an on-air talent. That means she has to choose between working for the WWE and our relationship." MiraBeth's mouth closed as she gave a tiny nod. Roman knew she understood. He had been right and he hadn't overstepped his bounds.

"That policy was directed at…It was supposed to keep…It needs to protect us from…Do you mean to tell me…"Vince began to sputter. MiraBeth took a step back and drew even with Roman's side as Vince started his famous strut down the hall. He turned and came back to the couple. "I haven't forgotten how MiraBeth put together the pieces and figured out what Hunter and Shawn were up to. The way you handled that case, weeding through the quagmire of rumors that flow around the backstage so quickly and keeping a lid on things so the show was able to still continue; you were a true professional. I don't know everything about the accident but you seem to be true to form with the handling of that as well. You are someone I want here, on this team. The dating policy will not keep good people, necessary people away." Vince promised.

"You aren't going to break us up." Roman vowed.

"We aren't your pawns. That's not right. I have to respectfully decline your offer. Besides that, I never said I was quitting my job as a police officer. You are making lots of assumptions without talking to the parties involved." MiraBeth said to the chairman before turning on her heel and heading for catering.

"She sure is a spitfire." he said to Roman.

"She's my spitfire. That toughness and grit has gotten her through so much and I have no intention of losing her now." Roman said in a warning tone. "As much as I would love to have her here fulltime, that decision is hers alone. And that is without the stupid directive standing in the way." It was Vince's turn to stand speechless as Roman left him alone in the hallway and joined MiraBeth in catering.


	19. Return to Reality

**I'm baack! Where have I been? Oh, it's quite a story...being a writer I'm happy to share this tale in the form of Computer Issues, a short story. Boohoo, boohoo, woe is me. Anyway, provided the computer is really and truly fixed, I am back and working on updating my stories again. If I review your stories, I am trying to catch up. This takes time!**

**I own no one and nothing associated with the WWE. And, eventually, I will speak to my husband again. :)**

* * *

><p>MiraBeth sat in a large over-stuffed chair with her ankles crossed casually and her hands folded on her waist looking across the few feet at her counselor. "You have made impressive progress. With the support system you have in place, I see no reason why you can't return to full duty with your shift." MiraBeth nodded once. "You don't seem happy."<p>

"I am." she said with absolutely no affect. "Getting back into my normal routine, my normal life will be good. I am looking forward to my real, normal life. And I do have my boyfriend, my friends, and my partner who are there for me no matter what. Life is good."

"You still don't sound convincing." the counselor said.

"If you want me to jump up and down, that's not my style." she replied.

* * *

><p>Walking into her house, MiraBeth dropped onto her sofa and pulled a pillow to her chest. "Now I really have to think." she said out loud. "Going back on duty is going to be hard. So freaking…" She let her head drop to the back of the sofa with a soft <em>thunk<em>.

A ringing telephone woke MiraBeth from a nap she didn't realize she had taken. "Hey, I just heard you were cleared! You get to come back on shift tonight!"

"Ah, no. Not tonight. He didn't say tonight. I need more time to process this." MiraBeth told her friend.

"Well, you better let someone know. They put you on the schedule."

"Crap. Crap. CRAP!" MiraBeth began to tremble as she hung up the phone without saying goodbye. She found her supervisor in her contact list and called. "Sir, I just heard that I am on the schedule for tonight. I am not prepared. The counselor just cleared me and I haven't processed this. I am shakey, I don't have boots, and I haven't been to the range. I can't come tonight. I need one more day. I can't do it. I just can't. I'm not ready. I…"

"Whoa, MiraBeth. I don't know who called you, but you don't have to report until you are ready. We want you back this week, yes, but we aren't going to force you to come back tonight. Don't panic. Breathe. Take a breath. It's okay." He spoke gently and with authority.

"Okay." She sighed. "Okay." She let out another breath. "I will work on the details for tomorrow."

"And I will check in with you around noon. Take care."

When MiraBeth hung up, she began to pace the living room. "Now what? Can I do it? Can I go back out there? The counselor says I can. Really, how often do calls like that happen? Once in a lifetime? Once in two lifetimes?" She paced back and forth with her hands folded behind her head, staring up at the ceiling.

The phone rang.

A deep voice greeted her. "How's my Baby Girl?" She gave a soft giggle at his opening line. "Hey, that doesn't sound like you. How did things go with the counselor?"

"Not that big of a deal, nothing to worry about." she said quietly. "I've been cleared to return to work." He was silent for a second. "I asked to hold off until tomorrow."

"D*mmit. There's no way I can get back to you." he swore. "I want to be with you the first time you go back."

"Roman…"

"You are trying to be strong. Stop. It's hard and I know that. I want to be there and I can't. This isn't right. This just isn't f'ning right." MiraBeth heard Roman flop on the hotel bed. "You need me and I am stuck here." They sat in their respective places listening to each other breathe through the phone.

"The hell with it." Roman said before the line disconnected.


	20. Samoan Takes the Bull by the Horns

Roman stormed into Vince's closed door meeting with Seth Rollins. The other man looked miserable. Vince looked more pissed than Roman had ever seen him. Veins popped out of places that Roman didn't know veins existed. The color of Vince's skin was approaching a color that Roman wasn't sure was on the color charts. "What the hell do you want?!" the billionaire aristocrat snarled, spittle flying into Seth's face as he addressed Roman.

Roman briefly thought maybe this wasn't the time but then figured he had already barged in, he'd go for it anyway. "I need to talk to you about MiraBeth. Now." He saw Vince's eyes flash and knew he was about to get his *ss handed to him. "If we talk, maybe there is something that she could oversee, something she could do…"

Vince thundered, "THIS IS THE SH*IT THAT THE DIRECTIVE WAS SUPPOSED TO PREVENT! THE EXACT REASON IT WAS PUT INTO PLACE! LOOK WHERE WE ARE NOW!"

Seth wiggled in his seat, murmuring, "She was an on-air talent."

"What did you say, boy?" Vince's tone dropped very, very low. Roman realized that Vince was in a very dangerous mood.

"Vince. I know you have your hands full and your lawyers are working feverishly. Not too long ago you were considering MiraBeth for a security position in the WWE but the directive prevents her from working here. Maybe we can compromise or come up with some sort of caveat… You need her here and I need her off the streets. We both get what we want. Let her put a leash on Seth. Let her find the loop holes and plug them. You are trying to fix Hunter's screw-ups. That's taking time. Let her help."

"No one is going to…"Seth interjected.

"It's in your best interest to shut up, boy." Vince turned and strutted across the room. He leaned against a desk and glared at Seth silently. Minutes ticket by. Roman began to wiggle impatiently. Suddenly Vince leaves the room.

"What is going on?" Seth and Roman asked each other.

Roman gestured to Seth. "You already know. It's the whole social media thing with _her_ and the other one." He ran his hand through his hair and sank lower in the chair. "This is going to cost me." He looked up at Roman. "This could cost me my job, Rome."

Roman pulled a chair closer and sat down. "Seth, man…I really don't know what to say."

Seth shook his head. "You barged in here like a crazy man."

"MiraBeth is worth it. She'd be here with me if it weren't for that directive. I know it." Roman began twisting his hands. "I just want to protect her…"

A banging door made both men jump. "Roman, you get your wish. Make sure MiraBeth is ready." Vince strode over, handing the large man a handful of papers. "She signs these and is at Headquarters tomorrow. Go. And Rollins? You go with him."

"S-s-sir?" Seth stuttered.

"My new head of security gets to keep your *ss out of any more trouble. Roman, here, gets to deliver you to her and let her know her first order of business."

"Gr-r-reat." Roman muttered as he walked out of the room.

Seth had to run to catch up. "Just like old times." he said with a smile.

"Not exactly." Roman cursed.

"Well, I'm the third wheel, trying not to get fired, and you are making time with your woman but still…We are back together. That's a good thing!" Seth said brightly.

"Yeah, whatever." Roman walked into his hotel room and began throwing things into his bag. Finally pausing, he glared at Seth. "When we get there, you are going to put everything electronic into a bowl or basket or something. You are going to sit in a room and shut up. Not a word. I have to break it to her that I got her a job."

"Oh, sh*t man. You didn't **tell her**?! What were you thinking, man?"

"I was thinking that she doesn't have to deal with that crap alone. That we can be together. Now I have to hope that she sees it that way. Bringing you along isn't going to help my case, but I can't leave you behind. So you are going to find a quiet corner and make yourself scarce. No causing any trouble!"


	21. Nighttime Surprise

**Okay, I need just a moment. Since I had to call hubby out for _dropping my computer _and leaving me offline for days, I have to give him credit where credit is due. Since he is going to be working on Valentine's Day because he has one of those essential jobs, he was quite sweet and took me out for a wonderful dinner in the middle of the week. We had our Valentine's Day when other people weren't and that made it extra special. I have to give him kudos for that.**

**And now, back to your regularly scheduled update. I only own MiraBeth. **

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><p>The bedroom was coated in darkness. Moonlight cast shadows of tree limbs on the wall. MiraBeth glanced out the window and saw clouds floating across the sky. <em>What woke me up? <em>She fluffed her pillow and rolled over. She closed her eyes and prepared to drift off to sleep. MiraBeth's eyes popped open at a distant creaking sound. Her body froze in place as she listened. _Was that inside the house? Like a board creaking underneath a foot?_ Waiting a moment, she heard it again. Moving stealthily, MiraBeth retrieved her just-cleaned service weapon. She checked to make sure it was loaded with a round in the chamber and put her back against the wall. Listening at the door, she could make out the quiet rumble of someone mumbling and another person answering. _Who the hell is in my house?_ MiraBeth tiptoed out of her bedroom and down the hall, keeping her back against the wall and her firearm in front of her in position to fire at the trespassers inside her house.

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><p>"Seth, you have <strong>got<strong> to stay quiet." Roman whispered as he set his bags by the dining room table. "You stay in the living room and I will let Mira know you are here before morning."

Seth set his bags down near a large chair just inside the living room entryway. He whispered, "How am I supposed to fit on a sofa? Really, Rome?"

"Quit complaining and be happy you are here, Photo Boy." Roman whispered.

Seth's quiet chuckle died out. "Did you hear something?" he whispered.

"Like what?" Roman whispered.

"Are you sure MiraBeth is sleeping?" Seth asked.

"Of course she is. It's 3:15 in the morning."

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><p>MiraBeth froze feet from the end of the hall. "Are you sure MiraBeth is sleeping?" one of the voices asked. The other whispery deep voice sounded familiar but over her pounding heart she couldn't place it. "Of course she is. It's 3:15 in the morning." MiraBeth took a deep breath and removed the safety from her weapon.<p>

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><p>"Freeze! Hands up! Identify yourself!" MiraBeth shouted, holding the gun steady on Seth.<p>

Roman swallowed hard and raised both of his hands. This was NOT how he envisioned seeing his girlfriend again. Seth was frozen in place, leaning over his bag. "Mira! Mira! It's me. It's Roman. Please don't shoot, baby." Roman identified himself while shaking both hands over his head.

"Roman? Who is…" Disbelief crept into MiraBeth's voice.

"It's me. It's me, baby. Roman and Seth. Seth had to come with me. It's a long story. I promise, I will explain it all just, please, put the gun down." Roman remained in place as he identified the man who had yet to move or speak.

"Seth Rollins?"

"Yes. Seth Rollins." Roman said.

MiraBeth lowered her weapon and reactivated the safety. "Oh, thank god." Seth straightened up before dropping to the floor. Roman stepped over him and wrapped MiraBeth in a huge embrace. "Don't mind me." muttered the shaking heap behind them.

"You scared me." Roman admitted into her hair.

"You?! You?! I heard noises out here in the middle of the night. Who the hell breaks into a cop's house?" MiraBeth nearly shrieked. Roman carefully encircled the wrist of the hand holding the gun and held it away from her body. "I nearly shot you both! I hear you two talking about whether I was up or not and thought…"

"Oh, crap." The couple turned and looked at the man now lying prone on the floor.

"Stop your whining. I can take care of myself." MiraBeth muttered. "And I didn't shoot you. You're fine." Pulling away from Roman she turned and headed back to her room to put her weapon away.

Roman looked down at Seth and realized his friend had an "issue" that required a change of pants and mopping the floor. "Dude!"

"Dude nothing! Your girlfriend pulled a gun on us! She had me at gunpoint and you haven't even _told her yet_." Seth ended on an intense whisper, rolling to his knees and then nearly running down the hall where he hoped to find the bathroom and the shower.

Roman headed for the kitchen to grab paper towels and the trash can. He returned to find MiraBeth holding a bottle of cleaner. "Told me what?" Roman looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Told me what Roman? Start talking. Now."

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><p><strong>Thank you all for the feedback that you have been giving for this story. Whether you like the chapter or there is something you wish were different, I appreciate each and every review that you send. If you take the time to read this story then I am doing something right. If you take the time to let me know your feelings, then some chord must have been struck and I would like to continue to write in that manner you enjoy. Feedback is the other half of the dialogue between the author and the reader! <strong>


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